Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch

by pennycandy 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  pennycandy

  In discussing with witnesses the need to belong to an organization, they will often point to Acts 8:26-31, emphasizing the need to be taught by someone what the Bible means.

  Short summary: Philip heard a man reading aloud scripture in his chariot, asked him if he understood it, the man said how can I unless someone teaches me, so Philip taught him.

  Sounds like a good point, huh? Not when you give it a little thought.

  What was the man reading from? The book of Isaiah, a prophecy about the Lamb. The New Testament concerning Jesus hadn't been written yet, except a few letters floating around the congregations. He had no idea about this man Jesus, and so had no way of understanding the words of Isaiah as the new Christians taught it. So Philip told him about Jesus. He didn't need someone to explain to him Bible doctrine, he just needed to be brought up to date on world events.

  That's all the eunuch needed to know, and was baptized that very hour, and went on his way.

  This scripture isn't showing us that we need to be taught what the Bible means; just the opposite actually.
• 

  Crooked Lumpy Vessel

  I remember thinking the same thing. He was Ethiopian and there was probably a language handicap as well as the lack of jewish family influence, tradition and speculations. Once he was baptized he got left alone.

  Come to think of it...I got left alone after my baptism too.
• 

  Paralipomenon

  Luke 9:49,50
  "Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."
  "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
• 

  Narkissos

  Well, to be fair, I think the point of Acts is that the extant "sacred texts" (broadly speaking, the "OT," although not exactly limited to what Protestants and JWs define as such) are only understood "properly" (in that case, very far from their original meaning, since the Songs of the Servant in Deutero-Isaiah describe a past situation instead of a future one) with the illumination of the "Holy Spirit" which is available by contact with the Christian "church" or its representatives. The "Gospel" or "good news" about Jesus (v. 35) implies a religious teaching, not mere "historical facts".

  The "church" in Acts differs from an "organisation" à la JW in many respects (not least, by the absence of any permanent, central, visible authority) but it is not the ethereal "invisible church" of Protestantism either.
• 

  betterdaze

  There were isolated communities of Jews in Ethiopia at that time. Today's Ethiopian Jews (most of whom have resettled in the modern State of Israel) claim to trace their lineage back to Solomon or even Moses.
  
  http://www.answers.com/topic/beta-israel
  
  "Judaism in Ethiopia undoubtedly goes back into very ancient times. In an Ethiopian book titled "Kebra Nagast", or "Book of the Glory of Kings," there are several references to Biblical verses about Solomon and Sheba. The Hebrew Bible also has various references. (Tanakh [1 Kings 10:1-13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-12]). Precisely what its early history was, however, remains obscure. The now dominant Coptic Ethiopian Church claims it originated from the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon back in the Tenth Century B.C.E. This visit is mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures (I Kings 10:1). Moreover, the details of the queen's visit, including the alleged theft of the Holy Ark as well as Solomon getting her pregnant with a child who established the "Solomonic" lineage in Ethiopia, as given in Christian Ethiopian tradition, are not in the Bible. They instead developed in the Middle Ages, first written down in full in the 13th century Kebra Nagast, inspired partly to legitimize the Solomonic dynasty as compared to the previous Zagwe dynasty of Agaw descent (Cushitic, not Semitic-speaking, though passionately Christian).
  
  The chief Semitic languages of Ethiopia also suggest an antiquity of Judaism in Ethiopia. "There still remains the curious circumstance that a number of Abyssinian words connected with religion -- Hell, idol, Easter, purification, alms -- are of Hebrew origin. These words must have been derived directly from a Jewish source, for the Abyssinian Church knows the scriptures only in a Ge'ez version made from the Septuagint."
  
  * * *
  Acts 8:27, 28 — So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.
  
  The eunuch was there to "worship," he was not a gentile, he was Jewish as well as an Ethiopian court official. (BTW, "Ethiopian" simply means black here, but that's a different geography discussion.)
  
  So... one take on this account is that Queen Candace sent the (Jewish Ethiopian) eunuch to Jerusalem as her representative to investigate reports that the Messiah had arrived. The book of Isaiah was not some souvenir novelty; as a worshiper in the far-flung Jewish world he would be familiar with some Hebrew scripture and he would have a vested interest both personally and professionally to confirm rumors of Hebrew prophecy being fulfilled.
  
  Hence the quickie baptism.
  
  ~Sue
• 

  White Dove

  YAY!!!!!!!! I recently used this one when a JW sister came to my door to convence me to go to meetings because that is where we are taught by JH. The Ethiopian was not told by Phillip that he must come and follow the apostles. No! He went on his way a saved man! She could not argue that.
• 

  Leolaia

  It is an excellent scripture to use concerning the Watchtower "program" that requires much study of its books and a final exam before baptism is granted. This guy was baptized the same day he had his "first study", or first encounter really. I could picture this happening today. A couple of JWs come to the door, a person is blown away by the "trooth" of a coming paradise earth, and then says, "Where's a body of water?" Come, please into my bathroom, I'll fill up the tub and you baptize me!"
• 

  Narkissos

  "Instant baptism" is a common feature of Acts (also Pentecost, Cornelius, the jailer and his family) -- which probably idealises rather than represents the practice(s) of the early church...

  However, the role of an official representative of the church providing the "true doctrine" (and, in the case of Philip and the Ethiopian, the "correct" interpretation of scripture) cannot be overlooked (since this was the initial question).
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  M.J.

  Too bad Philip forgot to make sure the Ethiopian gave up his high government position before baptizing him.